For a greatly expanded definition of why Virginia enjoys independent city status, see Chester Bain's "A Body Incorporate- The Evolution of City-County Separation in Virginia."
On page 35 it states, "The U.S. Bureau of the Census recognizes this difference in the Virginia city by using the term 'independent city' whenever cities are listed in the census reports.  Such a designation did not appear until the census of 1900, where it was noted with respect to the eighteen cities in existance at the time, 'formerly in ... county; now independent.'  This explicit statement in the census of 1900 and the inclusion of all cities as part of the civil divisions of each county in the census of 1890 lends support to the thesis of this study that city-county separation did not achieve a formal status until 1870."
Alyson L. Taylor-White
804-920-2783

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